Look Both Ways!

The kids both said, "WHOA!" as we skirted around the goose. Another pair of geese began to cross the street when a car 200 feet in front of us hit one of them. Looked like the male. He soared like a spiral-tossed football up and over the Jeep. Red brake lights never even flashed. 


I must have made a sound because Zoe was immediately alerted and said, "What? What's wrong, Mom?"


"Oh... just a goose got hit by a car."


Just then I noticed the smaller of the pair of geese. She was quivering and looking at her dead partner. His wing flapped lifelessly in the strong prairie wind and I swear her feet almost gave out under her. I slowed to almost a crawl, noticing her quaking legs and droopy head. She was paralyzed in fear.


I started to pull the car over. Anyone who has spent longer than an hour with me knows I am a bleeding heart for anything in trouble and kids and animals trump all else. So, a sad goose who just lost her mate was enough to send my PMS-ing self into tears on the side of the road.


As I pulled over on a deserted neighborhood street it dawned on me that the goose wouldn't come to "Treat!" or "Come here, girl" like Doodle. I needed something to shoo her out of harms way. 


Looking at the floor of the mini, I had a red fleece baby blanket, six individual sippy cups, one pair of winter boots too small for Zoe and too pink for Xander, and three empty Venti plastic cups from the grandest place on earth. Grabbing the baby blanket, I stepped out onto the street. The kids were engrossed in Diego, or so I thought. 


Mrs. Gander & I locked eyes. She was still quaking, shaking, and looked completely lost. She didn't even budge as I stepped closer to her, still on the other side of the curb. Out of nowhere, another mini-van tore out from a cul-de-sac and flew up to us. Without so much as a tap to the brakes or swerve of the ol' wheel, the crunch of Mrs. Gander hitting the grill is something I'll never forget. My eyes must have closed because I cannot remember seeing it happen. I did, however, see Momma Mini texting and applying another coat of mascara, so I'm not sure she knew if the thump was a child, goose, or muffler.


Warm tears flew off my cheeks and dropped to the pavement. Shoulders slumped, I opened the door to hear Zoe crying. 


"Mom! That poor poor duck! Did you see that?  Why? What dat happen?" as huge tears fell off her chubby cheeks.


"Zo, I don't know. I don't know why that happened." Hopping into the driver's side I didn't even have the strength to comfort her. I was torn up. "Zoe, you need to be extra careful when you cross the street! You look both ways. Both ways!" That goose could have been you! went through my head as I got a little shakier, and dizzy from shaking my head side to side a half-dozen times to illustrate proper street crossing etiquette.


Just then, my cell phone rang and it was my best friend in Iowa. Her dear father-in-law passed away suddenly and she had driven the 14-hour drive home alone, with a two year old and five year old, and her husband was flying in from a business trip out west that evening. Grief swallowed me up with a gulp and I had to resist sobbing into her ear as she sobbed into mine. Quickly, we got off the phone with the heartbreaking cry you can only do when you've lost someone you love in my ear. 


My mind was spinning out of control. 


"Momma! What happened? What Momma?"


"Camille's grandpa died. Her momma just called to tell us."


"He died? Like the gooses?"


Heartbroken, I didn't even have the energy to explain gooses vs. geese. "Yes, Baby. He went to heaven like the geese."


Pause. 


"He should have looked both ways, Mom!"


Isn't that the truth? We all need to look both ways and soak in the goodness because life truly does change in an instant.